Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina says players should be granted more freedom when it comes to choosing what tournaments they want to play.
The world No.4 has become the latest player to speak out against the current structure of the WTA Tour, especially concerning WTA 1000 events such as Madrid which now takes place over two weeks instead of one. The WTA has previously said the increase along with the ATP ‘demonstrates a clearer alignment across both tours.’ Traditionally Indian Wells and Miami have taken place over two weeks but in recent times organisers have also implemented a longer format in Madrid and Rome. Then from next year, the same is expected to happen in Canada and Cincinnati.
“I think these tournaments which became so long, it’s not very helpful, I would say, because if you’re fit, you’re fit, you’re going to play every day and the tournament finishes. But to stay in one place for almost two weeks, and it’s not like here you finish and you go rest. You go and you play another mandatory one. That’s definitely not making it easy.” Rybakina said following her quarter-final win over Yulia Putintseva.
Elaborating further, the Kazakh said she would prefer the Tour calendar to go back to its original format. A view that is also shared by Caroline Garcia who criticised the two-week format following her third round loss in Madrid.
“I think like it was before if we have two weeks’ tournament, Indian Wells, Miami, it’s fine, but to make these tournaments like Madrid and Rome also long, and then you have French Open, it’s kind of big events,” she continued.
Another concern raised by Rybakina is the rules regarding mandatory events. There are currently 10 WTA 1000 events on the calendar. According to the rulebook, players must play in those if they are accepted into the singles Main Draw at the Tournament’s entry deadline if they are fit to do so.
“With the new rule of change, we have a lot of mandatory stuff where you cannot really choose and pick what you want to play,” she said.
“I mean, at some point it’s fair enough that people choose what they want to play or not, because if the tour is good for everyone, then people will want to play. But now we kind of in the opposite direction where we have to, because everyone is chasing ranking and everyone is chasing some points and so on. But if it would be open for everyone, then it’s kind of fair enough. You want to play, you play. If you don’t want to play, you don’t play.”
“So I think there is a lot to improve in the tour, and I spoke a lot last year. I honestly don’t have much energy to fight through and say my opinion anymore because it’s not that easy to change something.
“I feel like I’m wasting more energy trying to do something different or to talk with the people. I’m just following the rules and trying to do best out of what I have.”
Rybakina admits that if she had lost to Putintseva, she would have been happy as it would give her a small break before Rome begins. In that match, she came back from a set down and then saved two match points in the decider en route to winning.
She will play Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals on Thursday.
